News & Reviews:   Apple iPhone 4S

As mentioned in our previous reports, the Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have arrived and instead of shuffling back the iPhone 5, it has been discontinued entirely. Strangely enough, the Apple iPhone 4S is still available but only the 8GB version which is currently going for RM1499. Thankfully, the iPhone 4S will be shipped with iOS 7 but since that hasn't come out yet, if you've ordered an Apple iPhone 4S then don't expect it to be shipped to you until after 18 September 2013 (which is the expected launch date for the final version of iOS 7. For more information check out theApple iPhone 4S site.

As mentioned in our Apple iPhone 5S report, the other device to be officially announced is the plastic backplated Apple iPhone 5C. Effectively replacing the Apple iPhone 5, the Apple iPhone 5C has nearly the same hardware and tech specs, including the same dual-core A6 processor and chipset, 4-inch Retina display (1136 x 640) and 8MP iSight camera. The only major hardware differences include a bigger battery, a new FaceTime HD 1.2MP front camera and the aforementioned colourful plastic backplates which come in blue, green, pink, yellow and white (sorry, no black yet). At 9mm and 132g the iPhone 5C is thicker and heavier than the iPhone 5. Other tech specs and features include 100Mbps LTE connectivity, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. While it packs in an 8MP iSight camera it probably isn't the same as the one on the Apple iPhone 5S as it has an f/2.4 aperture and only one LED flash.

The Apple iPhone 5S was officially announced recently and culminates after tons of leaked reports, tech specs, features, images and videos already showed up. Strangely enough, most of the leaks are correct and include a massive hardware upgrade such as a new 64-bit A7 chipset and processor along with a fingerprint sensor backed Home button with sapphire crystal. Some new things were revealed though and this includes an 8MP camera sensor that takes larger pixel shots, showing that Apple have also jumped onto the UtraPixel bandwagon. In terms of design, the rumoured gold and grey chassis are true but the overall design remains nearly the same as the Apple iPhone 5. Check out our analysis of the Apple iPhone 5S here.

According to insider information, the next Apple iPhone, which should be the Apple iPhone 5S, is coming soon on 10 September 2013. This fits with previous release dates which also happened around this time period and while the rumour circulating is about the iPhone 5S release, it will also mark the final release of other related devices and products like perhaps iOS 7 (which is already in beta 5) and the supposedly low-cost Apple iPhone 5C. While these are the more definite announcements that are likely to happen on that date, bear in mind that the Apple iPad 5 could also make an appearance as backplate housing for the tablet has surfaced. The Apple iPad mini with Retina Display on the other hand is still slated for around 2014 though.

Maxis is just dropping prices for their various bundled devices. This time around it is their Samsung Galaxy S III Mini which used to go for RM399 under their TalkMore48 + 1GB data plan. Now, in a move that will make those who don't call or SMS that much very happy, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is available with the Maxis TalkMore28 or TextMore28 from RM76 a month (the original site may say as low as RM56 but this applies to the HTC Desire C with 200MB Mobile Internet Plan). The fineprint for this deal is that the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is only available under a 24 month contract and new subscribers have to pay an advance payment of RM500. Existing Maxis customers who have been using Maxis Postpaid plans for more than a year don't have to pay this advance payment.

As part of the Pakej Komunikasi Belia Hotlink is offering a number of smartphones either for free or with rebates, in line with the RM200 rebate from the package. One deal that caught our eye was for the BlackBerry Z10 which is being offered at a promotional price of RM1688 with an additional 1.5GB of Free data. This RM1688 price is valid for existing Hotlink BlackBerry BIS customers who are eligible for the Pakej Komunikasi Belia. However, existing customers who do not qualify for the Pakej Komunikasi Belia may instead get the BlackBerry Z10 for a discounted price of RM1988. New customers who qualify for the package can get the smartphone at RM1888 while new customers who don't qualify for the package can get the deal at RM2188. The free 1.5GB worth of data is only valid for 7 days after the device has been bought while the actual promo is valid from 9 March 2013 to 30 April 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S vs Nokia 808 PureView Camera Comparison:

In this article I want to compare the camera performance of three popular mobile phones: the Apple iPhone 4S vs Nokia 808 PureView vs Samsung Galaxy S3 / SIII. Three popular mobile devices, each one with its own unique offering.

iPhone 5 Pros:

Larger screen - Going from a 3.5-inch screen to a 4-inch screen isn't that big a jump but the extra screen means more icons on the home screen, more navigation options in apps and HD movies shown without the black bar "letterbox" effect.

Better battery life - Apple managed to give the iPhone 5 better battery life than its predecessor. Battery life is Apple's stock and trade: The company will sacrifice features to keep battery life long, but in the iPhone 5, there doesn't appear to be a real downside.

Thinner and lighter - This may not be apparent from the presentation, but when you hold it, the phone feels impressively thin and impressively light, especially given the larger screen and longer battery life.

iPhone 4G Features and Concept:

iPhone 4G has been recognized as one of the greatest leaps when compared to the various existing 3 G phones. This is because of the belief that this phone will have some of those features which have not existed earlier in even the smartest of the phones.  The iPhone 4G has got a lot of cell phone companies and consumers dueling on themselves waiting for its release, so here is our spoiler info.